Biodiversity definitions Flashcards
Biodiversity (1 mark)
A measure of the variation found in the living world, it summarises the variety of living species and factors affecting them within an ecosystem.
Habitat
The area in which an organism lives with conditions and features that the organism is adapted to.
Species
A group of organisms that can freely interbreed to produce fertile offspring
Habitat Biodiversity
The range of habitats in which different species live.
Species Biodiversity
The range of organisms found in a habitat. This includes both species evenness and species richness.
Genetic Biodiversity
Variation between individuals belonging to the same species.
Allele
A version of a gene
Locus
The position of the allele (gene) on a chromosome.
Polymorphic gene locus
A locus that has more than two alleles.
Simpson’s index of biodiversity
A measure of the diversity of a habitat
Species evenness
A measure of how evenly represented the species are.
N.B. the more evenly represented the species aka each species has 20.. more diverse (not dominated by one species)
Species richness
A measure of the number of species present in a habitat
N.B. Does not take into account no. of individuals within each species.
Keystone species
One that has disproportionate effect upon its environment relative to its abundance.
Soil depletion
The loss of soil fertility caused by removal of minerals by continuous cropping.
Conservation IN SITU
Carrying out active management to maintain the biodiversity in the natural environment.
Marine conservation zone
Areas of the sea set aside to conserve the diversity of species and habitats.
Wildlife reserves
Areas set aside for the conservation of species or habitats.
Conservation EX SITU
Conservation outside the normal habitat of the species
CITES
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
A scheme to encour
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
A scheme to encourage farmers and other landowners in a way that promotes conservation.
